CONFESSION OF DEFEAT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 3 June 1919, Page 7

CONFESSION OF DEFEAT.

HINDENBURG THE INITIATOR OF THE ARMISTICE. - STOCKHOLM, March 28. In connection witli the discussion which- has l\ceu carried on with, some acrimony in tho German press of late as to whether or not Prince Max of Badon, then Imperial Chancellor, took the initiative in demanding and in offering peace in October last, the Wolff Bureau now publishes a letter from Field-Marshal von Hindenburg, Anted October 30, which shows that at t hat date the German Army Headquarters confirmed the demand it had made already on September 29 that offers of peace should bo made. in the letter referred to Field-Marshal von Hindenburg says:— “In consequence of the disaster on the Macedonian front, with its attendant weakening of the reserves of tho West front, and in consequence of the impossibility of replacing the great losses sustained in the recent encounters, there is now, humanly speaking, no longer any possibility of our being able to impose peace on the enemy. Our opponents are constantly receiving reinforcements; the old elements of our army still hold together, and may still offer some resistance to renewed attacks of the enemy, but our situation is becoming very precarious, and may at any moment place the Army Command under the necessity of taking a comprehensive decision. “In these circumstances, it is imperative to cease the struggle in order to save the German people and our allies from unnecessary sacrifices. Every day’s loss in this respect costs the lives of thousands of German soldiers.”

On the receipt of this letter, says the Wolff Bureau, the Government had no choice but to take steps at once to obtain an armistice and to offer to conclude peace.